Arcadia
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Arcadia Elementary Mission Statement
Arcadia Elementary School is dedicated to educating all students to the highest levels of academic achievement, to enable them to reach and expand their potential, and to prepare them to become respectful, resourceful, responsible, and resilient members of society.
SAVE THE DATE for Sept. 24
On Tuesday, September 24, the Tuscaloosa community will vote on a proposed 11.5 mill increase to the ad valorem rate to support our schools.
The last time the TCS ad valorem tax rate was increased was 1986. In 2015, Tuscaloosa residents voted to continue the millage rate set in 1986 and make it permanent. Inflation has risen by 185 percent since 1986, significantly impacting the purchasing power of the district. School costs have increase 272% during the same time period!
Our system has made great progress in the last decade, thanks to dedicated educators and expanded programs such as Pre-K, summer learning, dual enrollment, and workforce development. To sustain and enhance these efforts, additional funding is critical.
To learn more about the referendum, please visit our website.
Student Registration
It is very important that parents or guardian complete registration in PowerSchool. Students will not be added to a class if registration is not complete. If you're having trouble with your registration, feel free to reach out to Arcadia Elementary Normal School hours begin July 22nd. Each child has a unique code that is needed to register, listed on their Snapcode letter.
The links for Infosnap are below.
English: https://secure.infosnap.com/family/gosnap.aspx?action=40606&culture=en
Spanish:https://secure.infosnap.com/family/gosnap.aspx?action=40606&culture=es
Click School Supply List 2024-2025 Link:
Safety
It is important to remember that if you or your child see or hear something concerning, please report it to your school's principal. It can be the first step to saving a situation from becoming dangerous. Again, "See Something, Say Something!"
Our Non-Negotiables for Safety!
- Remind your child about positive behavior expectations on the school bus. Student must follow bus expectations for the safety of all students on the school bus.
- When dropping off students for school in the morning, please make sure to use the car line. For the safety of our students, we can not drop off students in the parking lot.
- Please use our crosswalk when crossing the street to bring students to the door.
- All visitors must sign in using RAPTOR system before moving beyond the front lobby to enter the building.
- A current ID is required anytime a student is being checked out.
- Students are not allowed to check out after 2:00 p.m.
- All discipline and safety measures will be strictly enforced. NO EXCEPTIONS!
- A threat to self and other will be handled according to the Tuscaloosa City Schools Code of Conduct, state laws, and/or mandates.
- Safety drills will be practiced monthly, included but not limited to backpack searches, fire drills, lockdown drills, and severe weather drills.
- If students see something, they must say something
- If someone is bothering a student, the student must tell any adult in the building.
Academic Excellence
To help ensure the highest quality learning environment for all students, we strive to have minimal interruptions to the classroom schedule. One simple, yet powerful way to help boost this high-quality learning environment is to have your child dropped off at school before 7:45 am. In this way, they are able to eat breakfast, unpack their things, and start the day smoothly. Any students who arrive after 7:55 am will be marked tardy. In the event that you are running late and arrive after 7:55 am, you will need to accompany your child to the Front Office and sign them in. If you need any assistance with this process, please give us a call.
A second powerful way to help promote a positive, uninterrupted learning environment is to channel all communications with the teacher through email or any digital apps that the teacher may use. Some examples of this would be the Remind app or Class Dojo. When your child's homeroom teacher sends you an invitation, please confirm your invitation promptly and keep yourself up to date with everything that is happening in the classroom.
Attendance Matters
Attendance Reminders
Please make sure that all students report to school each day. Students should be in their seats ready to learn by 7:55 a.m. in order to receive valuable information. When a student is tardy, the parent must check the students in at the office. If a student is absent, the parent must send a parent excuse or a doctor's excuse with in 72 hours. There will be no checkouts after 2:00 p.m.
TARDIES
Elementary students who accumulate six or more tardies during the year will be required to submit an official statement to the courts or a physician explaining each absence for the remainder of the school year. Failure to provide an official statement will result in an unexcused absence.
2024-2025 School Calendar Approved
The Tuscaloosa Board of Education unanimously approved the calendar for the 2024-25 school year during their meeting Dec. 11. According to the calendar for the next school year, TCS employees will report back to school on Aug. 1, and school will start for students on Aug. 7, 2024.
Very similar to the current school year calendar, the schedule for 2024-25 also includes a week off at Thanksgiving, a two-week Winter Break in December, and a week off for Spring Break. The last day of school in 2025 for students will be May 22, 2025.
The approved 2024-25 calendar can be found here: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Meetings/Attachment.aspx?S=2088&AID=419046&MID=19696
From the Office of Mathematics Improvement
Parent strategies for improving your child's math skills
This article is an excellence resource for strategies that parents can use to improve your child's math skills. https://www.nwea.org/blog/2018/parent-strategies-for-improving-their-childs-math/
Attached, you will find an Alabama Numeracy Act Quick Guide for Families. The digital version as well as brochure printing instructions can be found below.
Digital version: OMI-ALABAMA NUMERACY ACT-QUICK GUIDE FOR FAMILIES-SEPTEMBER 2023
Reading Engagement tips from our partners at Tuscaloosa Reads
Help support your school by ensuring that your student reads reach night for at least 20 minutes. This will greatly improve their reading fluency as well as reading comprehension.
Be sure to visit to click the link, tuscaloosareads.com for reading engagement tips
Alabama Literacy Act
The Alabama Literacy Act Review
Watch the short video HERE to learn about how the Literacy Act impacts your current and/or upcoming third grader's educational pathway. The attached link provides answers to frequently asked questions pertaining to the Alabama Literacy Act.
For more information you can also visit: https://www.alabamaachieves.org/
Alabama Literacy Act (Spanish)
Click on the video for important information about the Alabama Literacy Act in Spanish.
Counselor Corner
Hello Families,
So sad the year has come to an end. Hope everyone has a summer full of fun and stays safe.
Bullying and Conflict – What’s the Difference?
Sometimes people think that bullying and conflict are the same thing, but they aren’t. In one way or another, conflict is a part of everyday experience, in which we navigate the complexities of how we interact. Typically minor conflicts don’t make someone feel unsafe or threatened. Bullying, on the other hand, is when someone is hurt by unwanted words or actions, usually more than once and has a hard time stopping what is happening to them.
What are we doing in counseling?
Summer!
During open house I shared information about HALT. It is a way that parents and students can report bullying when it occurs. This is the link to use to make a report.
https://www.tuscaloosacityschools.com/Page/2264
Please feel free to contact me at anytime: Mabrook@tusc.k12.al.us
Help Support your School...Join PTA
We are looking for parents who have ideas to share to help grow our PTA. Join PTA and become an active member. Come to PTA meetings and share ideas. We are looking forward to hearing from you. Our next meeting will be February 22, 2024. Please share those ideas with our Parent Leaders and school administrators:
Erica Eatmon (President) - eyateseatmon@gmail.com
Lillian Escobar (Vice President)- lajarochitadelvalle@hotmail.com
Carmen Coleman (Secretary)- carmenmcoleman@gmail.com
Josh Trull (Treasurer) - josh.trull@gmail.com
Mrs. Gladys Wright (Principal) - gwright@tusc.k12.al.us
Mrs. Shalonda Reed (Assistant Principal) shreed@tusc.k12.al.us
Arcadia 21st CCLC SPLASH
Our 21st Century Community Learning Center after school and summer external evaluator's report for the 2022-2023 year is available for your review. To learn more, please visit the link below to read the report. Any questions or feedback regarding the program can be sent to our site coordinator, (Shanrika Minor), at (slaw@tusc.k12.al.us).
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W8v2XV5XAWamdx3sxBbpFlDKGxxlzKsp/view?usp=sharing
Congratulations to Tuscaloosa City Schools, who received the National Summer Learning Award / New York Life "Excellence in Summer Learning" award earlier this week in DC.
Arcadia Administrative Team
If you have questions or need assistance please contact your child's teacher or our school leaders: Gladys Wright, Principal-gwright@tusc.k12.al.us and Shalonda Reed, Assistant Principal-shreed@tusc.k12.al.us